Dell’s employee satisfaction drops after strict RTO policies

TEXAS, UNITED STATES — Dell Technologies has faced significant employee backlash following its strict return-to-office (RTO) mandate. 

According to the Business Insider, the most striking result from the “Tell Dell” survey was the dramatic drop in the employee net promoter score (eNPS) from 62 to 48.

The eNPS is a key metric measuring how likely employees are to recommend Dell as a workplace. 

Conducted in May, the survey was based on the responses of around 98,000 Dell employees.

Dell downplays survey results

Jenn Saavedra, Dell’s Chief HR Officer, acknowledged the drop in eNPS but emphasized that Dell still exceeded industry benchmarks.

“You have ‘told Dell,’ and we are listening,” Saavedra wrote in an internal email, focusing on other positive survey metrics such as leadership and company culture.

The eNPS is “just one question in a robust survey that gives us a current snapshot of employee sentiment,” Dell told BI.

However, employees feel that the eNPS score is the true indicator of their satisfaction. 

“I don’t think leadership cares about our feedback. They just keep rowing in whatever direction they want,” remarked one employee.

Controversial RTO mandate and employee monitoring

The sharp drop in employee satisfaction can be largely attributed to Dell’s recent policy changes. 

In February, the company introduced a new hybrid work policy that required employees to classify themselves as either hybrid or remote workers. Those opting for remote work were made ineligible for promotions or role changes.

Dell also implemented a new monitoring system for hybrid employees, tracking and rating their attendance with color-coded flags. 

“We’re being forced into a position where either we’re going to be staying as the low man on the totem pole, first on the chopping block when it comes to workforce reduction, or we can be hybrid and go in multiple days a week, which really affects a lot of us,” a Dell employee said at the time.